


Forbidden Intimacies

by DragonRose35



Series: The Forbidden Series [12]
Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Angst, Genderbent Aloy, Knotting, M/M, Machines have Cocks, Mild Game Spoilers, Mild Violent Content, Minor Character Death, Sex With Machines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-17 17:50:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16100723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonRose35/pseuds/DragonRose35
Summary: Aloy was a little tired of quest after quest after quest, doing things for people and getting almost nothing in return half the time. But when someone is in trouble, well... he just has to help. It's in his nature.This time, he might have bitten off more than he could chew, when he encounters a pack of Stalkers in "heat".





	1. Author's Note

**~//:Author's Note:\\\~**

So, I'm happy to report that I have finally beaten the game- and holy _shit_ , the final battle was super fucking hard. *laughs* Anyway... since I last played the game, I discovered some _very_  important details...

Some of those details including how exactly the machines had been made- including Corruptors and Deathbringers- and what happened to the Ancient Ones.

I also found out why Aloy doesn't have a mother, and it's rather fitting, I think. I can conveniently use it to explain somewhat of why machines are gravitated towards Aloy when in "heat". *snickers* And along with this... I found out... *coughs* ...that Aloy _isn't_  underage. She is actually _nineteen_ , holy shit.

Okay, so... I had legit thought that Aloy was sixteen throughout the whole game. Like, I had thought that when she was a little kid, before the ten year time-skip, she was _six_. As it turns out, she was nine. *smiles sheepishly* However... as my series is all marked 'Underage'... I would hope you guys forgive me if I keep Aloy sixteen, rather than make him nineteen like in the game. I'm sorry if this bothers some of you, now knowing that I know the truth.

But I hope you'll forgive me.

Anyway, if you guys want, I can provide a more detailed thing about how my idea with machines in "heat" works. But only if you guys want. *chuckles* I'm content leaving the details to hang in the air while you guys focus on the smut instead of how it's possible~ *grins cheekily* Sound fair~?

Now then, I hope you'll enjoy the story I've written for you guys as much as I enjoyed writing it~!

 

As it turns out, I'm not quite yet finished writing it, but I've decided that I'm at a good point where I can post it comfortably and give you guys something that will feel complete in the event that I don't finish what I've started. Which won't be likely, as I really enjoy writing this. I have  _so_ much planned for it, I truly do~ *cooes*

Now, until next time, my little doves~!

And let me know what you think so far~! *purrs loudly* As always, comments and Kudos are appreciated and keep me motivated to write for you guys~!

~ D.C.

 

P.S. I was wondering if I could ask you guys, if any of you are willing and/or unashamed, *chuckles* that have Tumblr accounts... if you'd maybe share something of my series for other people to see? I know this particular part of the fandom is not very popular, but there are quite a bit for the "nsfw" tag nonetheless. I figure there might be a chance others that haven't discovered my stories through Ao3 itself might enjoy them~?


	2. Forbidden Intimacies - (1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And here you are~! The first of what I hope to be many updates~
> 
> Enjoy~!
> 
> ~ D.C.

Aloy had just finished the objective Janeva had given him, tracking down the escaped prisoners and killing them. He was exhausted and quite frankly, annoyed with how things had gone. He had scratches on the skin bared to the sun from arrows, burns from the bomb that maniac had used to explode himself, and his hands were scraped from rocks he’d had to climb over and over. His head hurt and his stomach ached from hunger.

When he returned and received his reward, he planned on resting long and hard at the nearby campfire, before he spotted a stranger running swiftly up the paths to the prison. Curiosity peaked and worry in his mind, Aloy had drifted closer, before he had reached the panicked stranger, “Woah…! Slow down before you hurt yourself…” he huffed out, holding the stranger steady when he seemed almost ready to collapse.

“N-no time! I must find the Warden Janeva! Th-there’s trouble in-in the forest a-and-!” the stranger rushed, stumbling over his words and Aloy frowned, before pulling him over to one of the supply stands, grabbing a flask of water and handing it to the man.

“Come on, slow your breath… Drink this. It will help calm you,” he said, keeping his voice calm and gentle and thankfully the stranger didn’t fight. “What’s your name?”

“B-Basko…” he said, breathless, after he swallowed down the water, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Good, Basko. My name is Aloy… Now… what is this about trouble?” Aloy asked, after Basko had calmed down some and the man glanced nervously behind him before looking back at the prison and then back at Aloy.

“S-Stalkers…” he began and Aloy frowned, tilting his head. “There’s a pack of Stalkers deep in the forest, south-east, that attack travelers without warning on the paths. Th-this doesn’t normally happen… but there’s something  _ strange _ about them… I-I barely managed to escape with my  _ life _ .”

Aloy tensed up then, “Are they corrupted?” he asked and Basko shook his head, making Aloy relax, but causing him further confusion. “Then… what’s wrong with them?”

“I… I don’t know… I was hoping Janeva knew what to do…” Basko distressed and Aloy sighed, before nodding.

“Go tell her what’s going on,” he instructed, as Basko looked at him with wide eyes.

“What will you do?” he asked and Aloy offered a grimace of a smile.

“I’m going to check things out. See what’s wrong with these Stalkers,” he answered, stepping past the distressed traveler. “I’ll return soon, with news,” he promised.

-0-

The jungle was dark and damp as Aloy traveled along the path, going the direction that Basko had said, sticking to the paths to avoid other machines that were encamped within the jungle. Once or twice he had passed by travelers on their way to Meridian or Sunstone Rock, and they each pointed him a certain direction, where they had heard rumors of Stalkers staking their claim of territory unknown in the south-east.

Aloy followed the directions carefully until he finally came to a part of the jungle that was dark and deathly silent- not even the wildlife daring to make a sound. Like the jungle itself was afraid of something that was hidden within.

Grabbing his bow and arrow, the hunter stalked quietly through the undergrowth, activating his focus to see what his eyes could not. A fox sneaking silently nearby, a rabbit burrowed beneath a tree, a family of raccoons hidden not so far away in another, high above ground. And just before him, the rustle of leaves, and his focus detected a slight burst of energy before everything went dead once more. Silent.

Gritting his teeth, Aloy cursed a Stalkers ability to turn invisible, even to his focus, and he tensed up, holding his ground, looking every which way. After several moments of silence, Aloy gave up and stalked deeper through the underbrush, hoping to find the Stalker again.

When Aloy was nearer to the borders of the land, the mountains that circled the territories, he spotted a cave far off in the distance, underneath a large hill, and he wondered for a brief moment- before his focus detected the Stalker once more, this time reading its signature loud and clear. Tracking the Stalker swiftly, Aloy tagged it, before faltering when he realized something about the machine- why it was so erratic.

The machine was in  _ “heat” _ .

When the Stalker disappeared inside the cave, Aloy followed despite the brief moment of hesitation.

The cave was far darker than Aloy was used to, damp and desolate. Inside trickled a small stream that went further into the cave and as Aloy made his way further inside, he realized the cave system was far larger than he’d thought- though straightforward as it seemed to be.

There was no maze to get lost in, but the tunnel seemed to go on forever. Along the walls there were small slivers of blue crystal that Aloy had never seen before, and it made him forget his hunt as he gazed at the walls before him, following the small stream. When he eventually came across a large cave pocket, Aloy slowed to a stop, frowning when he saw what he did.

It was a nest. Basically.

A nest of dirt and grass and metal, with baskets tossed in one corner of the cave and a pile of broken metal in another. There even grew plants in a few of the mounds of dirt and at the back wall, a small tree sapling was budding, somehow surviving in this place. At the top of the cave bubble was a small crack in the ceiling that let in air and light from the sun, and beside him, the stream flowed into a small pond of crystal clear water, where more of the blue crystal was gathered at the bottom, to make it sparkle like the crystals themselves.

Walking further into the cave, Aloy had completely forgotten about the Stalker, until he heard a sharp, low growl from behind him. He whirled around, an arrow notched into his bow, but it was already too late, as the Stalker pounced, knocking his bow from his hands and him to the dirt-packed ground. Wrestling with the machine, Aloy kicked it off of him before he rolled to the side, panting heavily from the exertion as he stared down that machine.

The hunter swallowed hard when he saw the machine in full light now, with oil dripping from its underside. Aloy slowly reached up to activate his focus, trying to figure out just how long this machine had been in “heat”.

The answer to that was disturbing, and Aloy… for the first time, was actually  _ worried _ for a machine that was not his own.

So long the machine had gone without taking a prey, to release that pent up energy… but  _ why _ ? It had attacked travelers to find prey, so why hadn’t it taken the chance to do what it needed to? What stopped it?

Hunters? Carja soldiers? Something else…?

“E-easy…” Aloy spoke, breathless and fearful, and the Stalker hissed at him, tail lashing out. “E- _ easy _ … I-I’m not going to hurt you…” he added, though he knew in the back of his mind that if he didn’t do something quick, the Stalker would hurt  _ him _ .

Those bright red lens watched him, with every movement he made, and the machine seemed to tense up when Aloy had grabbed his spear, but before the Stalker could attack, he threw it off to the side where his bow had clattered to the ground. Following his spear, his tools and weapons- pouches as well. As he disarmed himself, the Stalker stepped closer to him, tense and waiting, and Aloy flicked his tongue out to wet his lips.

“Th-that’s right… easy now… I’m gonna give you exactly what you want…” he cooed, cringing a little when his voice broke in his fear. He’d never taken a machine that had waited so long to release that dangerous, pent up energy. Had never  _ thought _ any machine could survive this long without damaging itself because of it.

He knew exactly what happened to a machine that waited too long- how the oil in their system would become too much and would start to damage them from the inside out until they were unable to do anything in the end, ‘drowned’ by their own fluids.

The Stalker circled around him, watching him carefully as he then went about removing his clothing. His boots were the first to come off, then his bracers, followed by his outer armor. When he was left in only his undershirt, he was suddenly tackled to the ground and he cried out with the force of the action and the aches it caused in his body from colliding against the ground.

The machine had been far too impatient to wait for him to fully undress, as it loomed over him, pinning him to the dirt covered ground. Aloy’s breath hitched when he felt just how  _ hot _ the machine was, and he swallowed hard, quivering as it pressed against him, its cock thick and long as it leaked against his bared skin. As it growled above him, Aloy tensed up, anticipating the moment that the machine penetrated him and he bit his lip hard to keep from crying out at the unexpected sharp burn of pain.

The machine gave him no time to adjust, and coupled with how  _ hot _ it felt from how overheated it was, Aloy’s whole body was alight with burning pain. It took everything he had not to pull away, knowing it would only agitate the beast further, and he let it force itself inside of him, as he grasped tight to the packed dirt beneath his hands. “F- _ fuck _ !”

Gritting his teeth, Aloy closed his eyes tightly, as tears leaked down his cheeks, and he braced himself against the ground. His hole clenched tightly around the hot metal inside of him and he whimpered quietly when he felt the Stalker withdrawing, before it thrust right back inside of him, hard and rough, forcing him forward just a little as he gasped with the force of it.

When the Stalker started a brutal pace, Aloy could do nothing but  _ take _ it, as his walls grew slick with oil and blood both. Despite this, he couldn’t say he yet regretted not killing the machine, instead of giving in to what it  _ needed _ \- reduced to no more than a willing hole for it to fuck.

Clawing at the dirt in front of him, Aloy squirmed as the Stalker fucked into him, hard and fast, its cock reaching deep inside of him. As it leaked oil, mixed with his blood from the rough entry, the movements became a lot smoother as the time passed. It wasn’t long before Aloy began to feel the effects of the aphrodisiac element in the machines oil, his own cock twitching to life as he writhed underneath the Stalker, a mixture of pain and pleasure now consuming him as he whimpered and gasped and moaned beneath the machine.

Minutes seemed to pass, hours even- Aloy had no idea, nor did he care- before he felt that familiar coil of heat tight within his gut and he jolted when the Stalker’s cock pierced his prostate, sending sparks of pure  _ pleasure _ down his spine and straight to his leaking cock. When Aloy’s release was near, there was no longer any pain, only pure, burning pleasure as the machine had its way with him.

After several well-aimed thrusts, Aloy cried out as he finally found his release, spilling hard against the ground beneath him, painting it white with his own seed. His walls clenched tight around the thick cock inside of him, but that didn’t seem to slow the machine down any, less so when Aloy collapsed against the ground, exhaustion getting the best of him. He was unable to fall into the abyss yet, however, when the machine coiled its tail tight around his waist, pulling him back against every thrust with a strength Aloy hadn’t known the beast possessed, and the hunter’s breath hitched when he felt something thick and hard at the base of the Stalker’s cock.

A  _ knot _ , he realized.

“Sh- _ shit _ , you can… you can  _ knot _ !?” he cried out, not sure whether he was panicked or desperate for it. Desperate, he decided, as he tried to push back with what little strength he had left, breathless in his want, as the pleasure consumed him, his cock twitching despite having just cum. “Nngh~!”

Aloy’s walls clenched once more around the machines cock and this time the Stalker was helpless to release, as it roared, burying itself deep inside of the hunter. Its knot thick and large as it locked them together, and the machine spilled hot and thick inside of Aloy, filling him to the brim, as not a single drop of oil leaked from his stuffed hole.

He gasped with it, aching in the  _ best _ way, his mind fuzzy with pleasure as he felt fuller than he had ever been before.

As he drifted in and out of consciousness, he felt the Stalker above him, as it lowered itself to his form, blanketing him without crushing him. It was… nice, Aloy realized. Like the Stalker was comforting him as much as it was protecting him. Though Aloy had no idea why.

He hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep until the next thing he knew, he was waking up to the Stalker driving its cock once more into his willing body and he cried out hoarsely with the pleasure of it.

By the second time he had been knotted, the boy had cum twice more, the ground covered in his cooling seed and he whimpered, feeling almost  _ too _ full. When the Stalker pulled completely out of him moments later, Aloy’s breath hitched when he felt the oil gush from his slickened, abused hole and he moaned at the feel of it, his eyes fluttering open before they widened when he saw two more Stalkers at the entrance of the cave. “O-oh…” he nearly choked on his breath, quivering as he realized what was going on.

He didn’t have to turn on his focus to realize that these machines were also in “heat”, and likely just as bad as the first Stalker. He also didn’t have to turn on his focus to realize something was not quite right with them:

One of the Stalkers was missing its tail completely- probably due to a fight with humans- and the other was half blind, the left side of its face damaged from another machine’s claws.

“Th-three… Stalkers in  _ “heat” _ ... No fucking  _ wonder _ you were causing so much grief for the people of this region…” Aloy rasped, swallowing hard, and he looked over his shoulder to see the first Stalker backing away, as the other two suddenly stalked forward, taking in his predicament. He could see the  _ moment _ it clicked inside their heads what he was there for and he quivered in anticipation for their cocks. He only wished the oil wouldn’t make him  _ sick _ or he’d try to take one of their cocks in his mouth.

As it was, that idea sounded terrible and gross.

When the Stalker missing its tail approached him from behind, Aloy lifted his ass a little higher, stretching out as he presented himself eagerly to it. As the machine stepped over his body, Aloy moaned loud and pleasured as the beasts cock slipped right inside of his quivering hole with very little resistance, thanks to the previous rough coupling.

As the tailless Stalker fucked him rough and fast, driving in and out hard and deep as its claws dug into the ground, Aloy was helpless to the onslaught of pleasure and arousal, as his cock filled back up. He couldn’t believe that he could get hard again like this, after having cum three times already, but the Stalkers were seemingly set out to prove just how many times they could make him cum.

This time he wasn’t knotted as he was filled with the Stalker’s hot, slick oil, and when it pulled out, he didn’t have to mourn the loss of the warmth before he noticed the final Stalker circling around behind him.

Before the Stalker could mount him however, he rolled over onto his back, grimacing only slightly at feeling his own seed wet at his back, and he spread his legs wide, lifting his hips as he silently begged the Stalker to fuck him, liquid heat burning inside of his body as the arousal flooded his veins, his head fuzzy and empty of everything except  _ this _ . Except the Stalkers and this heat and their  _ cocks _ .

 


	3. Forbidden Intimacies - (2)

When Aloy had awoken, the moonlight was bright in the night sky as it gleamed through the crack in the ceiling. He sighed quietly as he felt warmth surrounding him entirely, and when he let his eyes flutter open, he realized why as he saw two Stalkers curled around him. Rumbling quietly, like they were  _ sleeping _ .

Except, that shouldn’t be possible… machines didn’t  _ need _ sleep. They were machines. Just like they didn’t need to eat or drink. But… he realized, they  _ could _ .

Gingerly sitting up, Aloy swallowed hard, careful not to jostle the sleeping Stalkers. He took inventory of his aches and bruises, a quiet noise leaving him when he realized he ached in the most pleasant way at his backside, even though it did carry a slight twinge of pain with every movement.

He needed a bath and something to eat, first and foremost. But he also needed to get his clothes and weapons back from where they’d been discarded.

Stepping carefully around the Stalkers, he knelt beside his tool pouches and cursed when he realized he was both out of medicinal herbs and salves, so he couldn’t take care of his scratches, burns, or bruises. Sighing, he shook his head and set aside the pouches, before grabbing clothes and folding them neatly into a pile that he could carry easily enough. He didn’t bother with the shirt he was still wearing just yet, as he could take it off when he was finished bathing.

Frowning, he glanced at the crystal water near the entrance to the cave and wondered if he could risk bathing there, before he shook his head once more. Grabbing his things, he wrapped his waist-skirt around him to cover himself up, tying it neat and secure, before he started towards the cave entrance. He paused, however, when he saw a trick of the light against the cavern walls and he tensed up, knowing exactly what it was before it revealed itself.

The Stalker growled, low and mechanical when it saw Aloy, dressed with his things, and it blocked the entrance of the cave effectively. “...shit.” he cursed, the word silent on his breath, when he realized what was going on. “L-look, you’re okay now and I’m glad to see you aren’t in “heat” anymore and all that, but I really have to get going. And… I’m  _ really _ in no condition to fight you, especially since I’m  _ clearly _ outmatched…” when Aloy glanced back at the other two Stalkers, he confirmed that they were up and staring at him, lens yellow and alarmed.

The Stalker growled once more, tail curling behind it and Aloy narrowed his eyes, bristling a little.

“I  _ gave _ you what you wanted! You can’t keep me here like… like some sort of  _ prisoner _ ! I’m  _ human _ . I don’t belong here…!” the hunter hissed, but still the Stalker didn’t budge. “F-fine…” With a hitch in his breath Aloy thought about how he could get out of this mess- he was  _ starving _ , damnit- and realized there were only two ways:

Trying to fight the Stalkers outright and…

Aloy knew what he was about to do what stupid and chaotic, but he was a little desperate. As he counted down the seconds to steel his resolve, he suddenly dropped all of his gear save for his spear and he leapt forward before the machines could react. Mounting the Stalker in a less than graceful way, Aloy pressed the control rod hard against the Stalker’s neck, desperately trying to override the machine as it bucked to try and get him off. He barely noticed the other Stalkers as their lens turned bright red in fury.

When Aloy was thrown off of the Stalker, hard against the ground, he cried out as his spear clattered in a different direction.

When no fighting had begun, he dared to crack his eyes open and he quivered when he saw what he did- the Stalker was overridden… but that didn’t seem to make a single damn  _ difference _ . “A-are you fucking  _ kidding _ me…?” Breathless, Aloy grasped tightly to the ground beneath his hands and he swallowed hard. “H-how is this  _ possible _ …! Y-you’re mine now… y-you should have…” he trailed off, when the Stalker hissed, before snorting, and it turned away, walking back down the cavern hall, leaving him with the other two Stalkers. “ _...fuck _ .”

He only felt a tiny sliver of relief when they didn’t start attacking him outright, but was miffed when they instead guarded the cavern entrance, standing like statues on either side.

Slowly getting up from his spot on the ground, Aloy let out a sigh of defeat, before gathering his things, and he walked over to the baskets, straightening them up before he set his clothes into one, and arranged his weapons against the wall beside it. Afterwards, he made his way back over to the dirt mound, sitting onto it, keeping his gaze on the Stalkers as he stared at them while they stared back.

“I’m not your prisoner…” he told them, a quiet murmur on his lips. “I don’t know why you won’t let me leave… but eventually I will. You’re machines, though, so I don’t expect you to understand why. But I’ve got people out there depending on me…” he frowned at this, the sentence feeling wrong on his tongue and he quivered, gritting his teeth as he shook his head. “Never mind…”

-0-

The moment Aloy had started to become bored, his stomach an annoyance as it growled fiercely at him constantly, the Stalker returned from wherever it had gone.

For a brief moment he thought about naming them. It was getting annoying calling them each what he did in his head. But if he named them, he would get attached… like they were his machines. But they weren’t. That was proven after Aloy had tried to override the first Stalker. Even though he’d succeeded as the thick blue wires entangled around the beasts neck, he had somehow failed.

Aloy let his gaze flutter open, unaware he’d even closed his eyes, and he perked up when he saw what the Stalker had with it. Another basket in its jaws, with herbs inside of it, and the carcass of a boar carried tightly within its curled tail.

“Wh-what…?” he questioned, eyes wide, as the Stalker came into the cave, stepping closer to him. When it dropped the carcass on the ground from its tail, it bent its head low to drop the basket of herbs in front of Aloy, at his feet. “These… these are for me…? But why…? I would’ve taken care of myself if you had just let me leave…” If the Stalker could narrow its eyes, it would. As it was, it only growled at him, before turning away and Aloy frowned, watching it for a moment. “W-wait…” he called out, the words on the tip of his tongue before he sighed, unable to quite say them. So, instead, when the Stalker paused, he made a request, “I… I need wood for a fire, to… to cook the meat you brought me. Raw meat doesn’t sit well with human stomachs…”

He didn’t get an answer, didn’t expect to, and watched as the Stalker disappeared from sight once more. As the other two still stood guard at the entrance.

Making a face, Aloy supposed he couldn’t be too bothered, since he was given medicine and food. Instead, he took the basket of herbs, walking over to his tools, where he grabbed what he needed to make a proper salve for his injuries.

Afterwards, with he stinging pain fresh as the salve was applied- bandages wrapped as tight as he could by himself- he grabbed his hunting knife and made his way over to the boar, getting to work on skinning it for meat. The boar carcass was fresh, so it was obvious the machine had killed it itself, instead of stealing from another hunter’s catch.

It was a strange thought, to be honest- the machine… any machine, hunting for him- but it was… nice. The feeling of someone taking care of him was something he wasn’t used to- not since…

Sighing, Aloy shook the thoughts from his head, continuing his work in silence as he waited for the Stalker to return again.

-0-

Aloy didn’t know what time it was, but by the time that the Stalker had returned with wood, Aloy was starting to get tired again. So he had made the campfire in silence, with the flint he’d had in his pouch, and he cooked the meat. When it was finished, he ate what little he could, before he set the rest aside.

All three of the Stalkers were present again, the tailless one sitting guard at the cave entrance, as the half-blind Stalker was curled behind him. The final Stalker was pacing along the baskets, like it was…  _ thinking _ , or something. Aloy didn’t know. And frankly, he was too tired to care.

“I suppose you still won’t let me leave, will you?” he asked, lifting a hand up to cover a yawn. And he snorted softly when he was ignored, “Go figures… Fine. But I’m gonna try again in the morning. I hope you realize this…” Laying down in the dirt, Aloy made to get comfortable, pillowing his head on the softest patch of grass, before he drifted to sleep, unaware as the half-blind Stalker drifted closer to him, curling around his body to provide warmth at his back.

-0-

Aloy awoke the next morning with a rough jolt when he heard explosions in the distance. Disoriented for a moment, he was on high alert the next, and he rushed to grab his weapons and armor, dressing quickly before he ran down the long tunnel of the cavern, bow armed and ready.

He was unprepared for the sight of full out  _ war _ on the front door of the cave as Carja mercenaries and soldiers fought the Stalkers, shouting nonsense as fire arrows were shot everywhere and mines exploded in the undergrowth. Aloy had no idea how to process what was happening, but when he made to jump into the fray, the half-blind Stalker stopped him, jumping into his path with a dangerous growl. “L-Let me go! They’re here for  _ me _ !” he tried to argue, over the explosions, but the Stalker wasn’t having it, as it pushed him back and he stumbled.

When one of the soldiers spotted him, she had shouted something, but Aloy couldn’t hear what it was. He only knew that the soldiers had started pushing towards the cave then, confirming his words. He hadn’t actually thought they were here for  _ him _ … no one ever came for  _ him _ . He was always on his own- had been ever since the Proving.

“S-stop!  _ Stop _ !” Aloy cried out when the Stalker shoved him back and he fell against the ground, just as the cave entrance exploded, sending rocks falling down- not enough that it covered the entrance completely, but enough that it sent dust flying everywhere. Coughing harshly, Aloy was helpless as the Stalker herded him back towards the cavern pocket.

When they got there, Aloy whipped around, furious, as he glared darkly at the Stalker.

“What the fuck are you doing!? I could have gotten them to  _ leave _ ! I could have  _ helped _ !” he snarled, heartbeat quick in his chest as he heard more explosions, more distant shouting.

The Stalker only snarled at him, lens bright and red, angry and threatened. And when Aloy had tried to run past it, Aloy was thrown back against the dirt when the Stalker had whipped its tail around, catching him against his chest.

Dazed, Aloy struggled to sit back up, panting and bruised, and he clutched tightly to his bow, debating whether or not to attack back. But the fight left him as soon as he heard the explosions stop. But then there were footsteps running down the cavern hall and both he and the Stalker turned towards the sound. Aloy’s eyes widened, but then he realized too late what was going to happen.

When the soldier was at the pocket entrance, that was as far as he got, as the first Stalker materialized behind him, pouncing, and sending the soldier to the ground with a sharp cry, as the machines claws ripped through him.

Aloy choked on his breath, his eyes wide still, as he watched the soldier die, and he quivered.

“Y-you just… you just  _ killed _ him… You killed them  _ all _ , didn’t you…?” Aloy gritted his teeth, standing up, “Didn’t you!?! Do you have any idea what you just did!? You just killed a dozen Carja soldiers, and more will come after you! But you could have prevented that if you had just  _ listened _ to me!” Aloy shouted, his voice cracking after a moment or two and he made a noise in the back of his throat, of anger and grief. “I… I’m the one that kills machines like you… That threaten the innocent… I should have killed you when I had the chance…” he choked on his breath, sitting back against the ground, arms wrapped around his legs and his head pressed against his knees.

He was unaware when the Stalker left, leaving the other two behind to guard him- or to keep him from leaving. Aloy didn’t know which… and he didn’t care.

-0-

It was night by the time that the Stalker had returned and Aloy was beyond his anger and grief for the soldier, now impossibly worried for the machine that held him captive. It had been gone for hours, and Aloy had no idea what to think. If it was even still  _ okay _ … or if other humans had managed to kill it.

But when the Stalker did return, Aloy couldn’t tell whether he wanted to shout or cry. He was on a roller coaster of emotions, it would seem, and the Stalker wasn’t helping any.

It had brought back food with it, a turkey, and Aloy felt his stomach growl in return. Without a word, he watched the Stalker drop the dead bird, before he went over to it, skinning the animal to get to its meat before he cooked it.

The cave was silent as he ate, the fire crackling quietly in front of him, and he frowned to himself as he thought about everything that had happened. Carja soldiers died because of him, sent, no doubt, by Janeva after he had been missing for a day. He couldn’t believe anyone would come looking for him, even after all that he’d done.

Setting the remains of his dinner to the side, Aloy sighed and glanced back at all three of the Stalkers, taking in their states. Each a little worse for wear- especially the one that had brought him the food, as it sparked occasionally in what Aloy could only assume were uncomfortable places.

Standing up, Aloy brushed down his pants, before he made his way over to the pile of metal that was over in the corner of the pocket and he began to sift through it, earning the attention of the machines. After a few moments, he realized he had everything he needed to repair the damage done by the soldiers and he turned to look at the Stalkers, startling only a little when he realized how close the half-blind Stalker was to him.

“Would you let me repair you?” he asked, a little quiver to his voice. “What you did may have been wrong, but because of me, you’re hurt… and I’d like to fix that. Please…” he murmured quietly, gazing into those radiant blue lens and the machine snorted softly before it sat beside the human, obedient for the moment. “Thank you,” Aloy offered a meek smile as he surveyed the damage done to the Stalker before he began to repair it.

When the half-blind Stalker was repaired at least of the damage done by the Carja, the tailless one had approached him, curious, and Aloy smiled a little wider.

“I don’t suppose you want repaired too, huh? I’m sorry I won’t be able to fix your tail though… I don’t have the right parts here,” Aloy frowned a little, reaching at to run his fingers across the jagged metal where once the Stalker’s tail had been. “But the damage done by the Carja I can definitely fix. We just need… a couple of spark plugs and some shards… and…” he trailed off, gathering the needed supplies in a small pile before he finally got to work. “There, fixed~” he cooed, smiling brightly at the Stalker and he squeaked when the Stalker nuzzled him in thanks. “E-er, you’re… you’re welcome…~” he spoke, unsure, as he gently pat the machine’s jaw, before pulling away.

When he turned to look at the final Stalker, it was still circling the baskets and he sighed, watching it for several moments, before he made up his mind.

“I’m guessing you’re the leader of this little pack, aren’t you?” he spoke, knowing the Stalker knew he was talking to it, judging by the quiver of its tail. “So you’re probably more independent than these two, and that’s fine. But you’re more damaged than they are, and I would appreciate it if you let me fix you up.”

When he got no answer, Aloy narrowed his eyes, clutching his tools tightly in his hands. Before he was fed up.

“Come here  _ now _ or I’m leaving,” he snapped, and this seemed to get its attention, as the Stalker growled at him. “Don’t act like that. I meant what I said. I’m  _ not _ your prisoner. But you obviously want me to stay, though I don’t know why. So maybe show a little appreciation for my  _ offer _ and get over here so I can thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

It took several long moments and when Aloy thought he would be ignored, the Stalker finally trudged over to him, sparking metal and all, before it- begrudgingly, Aloy thought- let him fix it up.

“Thank you…” he sighed, shaking his head. “For  _ this _ … and what you did earlier. You didn’t have to gather herbs and hunt for me… but I appreciate that you did. I just wish you would be more careful around humans. And maybe  _ not _ kill the soldiers?” This earned him a snort and Aloy huffed, “You’re not mindless machines… I  _ know _ you can incapacitate without killing. I’ve seen your kind do it before. You’re intelligent and capable of emotion. I’m not stupid… I can see this as plain as day.” He sighed then, setting down his tools, a frown on his face. “I… don’t know why you chose me… but if I’m going to stay… you have to earn my trust and pliancy. Understand?”

The Stalker didn’t answer, but he didn’t expect it to. Instead he just snorted softly himself, picking his tools back up as he finished repairing the Stalker’s damaged body.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Don't forget to check out the new Tumblr I decided to make for this series, if you're interested~! *purrs*
> 
> https://silvermetalhorizon.tumblr.com/
> 
> ~ D.C.


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